EMDR
If you feel like past trauma is happening NOW…
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) might be right for you.
Flashbacks and nightmares…
Always being on high alert…
Persistent negative beliefs…
I’m damaged.
You can’t trust other people.
The world is a dangerous, terrifying place.
EMDR can help you put it all in the past where it belongs.
Reprocess the trauma, heal your emotions…
EMDR is an evidence-based, highly effective, and structured body-mind approach.
That means we’ll be treating trauma that’s lodged in your body and registering in your mind.
Imagine your brain is like a filing cabinet. Most of your experiences get sorted and stored
properly, but when something really upsetting happens, that memory can get stuck, almost like
a messy file that won’ t close.
EMDR helps you reprocess the memory so it can be filed away properly
You won’t forget what happened, but the trauma will lose its control of your mind, body, and emotions.
Here’s what it looks like…
To reprocess a traumatic memory, you do NOT have to talk about the trauma.
In addition to “reprocessing” the trauma, we’ll also strengthen positive beliefs like “I am safe.”
During the session, we’ll make sure you stay grounded and comfortable. Engaging your senses with a warm, cozy blanket, a calming scented candle, a peppermint, or familiar items from your home will make you feel secure as you do this work.
You’ll end each session with “closure,” using self-soothing techniques to make sure you leave feeling better than you did at the beginning of the session.
Of course, our EMDR sessions will be aligned with your short- and long-term therapeutic goals,
And we’ll answer your questions and make sure you’re comfortable every step of the way.
Keep in mind…
EMDR was developed as a PTSD treatment, but it’s been shown to be effective in the treatment of anxiety, depression, performance anxiety, and relationship difficulties.
We’ll do EMDR through convenient telehealth sessions that can be conducted from your home or anywhere you feel comfortable and have privacy.
Potomac Behavioral Health recommends a large screen such as a laptop, iPad, or monitor with headphones.
Doing EMDR on a cell phone or from your office or car is NOT recommended.
Erica’s* EMDR story…
Erica was a young mom with a beautiful family and home.
Until one day, the worst thing imaginable happened. She heard glass shattering, and an intruder high on drugs ran into her home, destroying her property and threatening her family.
Her sense of safety shattered just like the glass.
“How will I ever keep my young children safe?” she wondered.
She felt her body tense and noticed she was holding her breath…
… when strangers on the street made eye contact or she heard a loud noise. She was jumpy all the time, had nightmares about another home invasion, and constantly wondered what could have happened to her children had she not escaped in time.
After completing just three sessions of EMDR…
She noticed a marked improvement in her sleep. After several more sessions, she wasn’t snapping at her children or husband as often and felt less irritable, tense, and more in control.
She regained her sense of safety.
Now, she can tell the story at parties without feeling intense emotional distress. It had somehow become a thing of the past. The threat was finally over.
*The above name and story are a fictionalized composite of real clients I’ve supported.
Put your trauma in the past.
Start living in the present.
Call (202) 753-9836 for a free 15-minute consultation. Ask any questions you may have and see if EMDR is right for you.